IN THIS ISSUE Families After Deployment by Pat Sovern
Gratitude by Mark Reamer
MBR World Finals by Phillip Kitts
O Tannenbaum by Mark Reamer
Xtreme EggbyBull Riding Event Phillip Kitts Soup Recipe by Phillip Kitts
STAFF
Phillip Kitts - Manager Heidi Kitts - Operations Steve Gray - Design Betty Simpson - Editor Kyndall Hill- Media/Photographer Intern
WRITERS Phillip Kitts Steve Gray Pat Sovern Mark Reamer
PHOTOGRAPHERS Phillip Kitts Steve Gray
Cover photo Avid Visual Imagery Rodeo Photography
photo by Steve Gray
FAMILIES AFTER DEPLOYMENT
W
by Pat Sovern
e've all seen heart-wrenching video of military personnel saying goodbye to families while preparing to board planes to fly to some far off location in defense of our country. We immediately empathize with those leaving, knowing how hard it must be to say goodbye to loved ones and knowing the dangers they'll face. But, what happens after they leave? An increase in deployments the last ten years has also increased the number of families dealing with the stress. Often, families face more than one deployment depending on the length of service. The wife, husband or grandparent now takes on additional responsibilities which can be challenging. As hard as things may be for caregivers, the effects of deployment are even harder on children. Even young toddlers are aware of the change. Toddlers may have trouble sleeping; not understanding why mom or dad isn't there to tuck them in at night. School-aged children may exhibit anxiety from fear of their parents getting hurt. It's common for some to have trouble sleeping, suffer depression, become withdrawn and do poorly in school. Some may even become defiant or show aggression. Teenagers may show those same behaviors as well as anger because a parent had to leave and now they have more household responsibilities. There are ways to make a deployment less stressful according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The first thing for the parent staying at home to do is to get educated. Look for programs or resources available in the area to know what to expect and prepare to handle issues which may surface during this difficult time. The most important thing to do is talk to the children, listen and answer their questions in an honest, age-appropriate way. Preparing them before deployment is helpful so both parents are there to answer questions. Just remember, they're watching you and your reactions to stress. It's okay to let them know you are worried, but try not to fall apart in front of them. It's also important to monitor what children watch. News reports of bombings, graphic images or word of deaths will add to their stress. If your child does ask about something he or she heard or saw on the news, again, be honest and reassure them their mom or dad is okay. Even though the deployed parent is far away, try to maintain closeness with your child by having a stuffed animal, t-shirt or photo for them to keep near and feel close to the parent. Let them help you prepare a care package, send cards or letters and email or video chat whenever possible. Keep daily routines the same. Consistency is key. Keep them busy, but not too busy. Use exercise or sports as healthy stress relievers. Always seek help if you are having trouble dealing with your child's behavior, especially if it lasts a long time or worsens. Connect with your local military support group, talk
to your child's pediatrician, school guidance counselor, youth pastor or mental health professional. By knowing the symptoms and seeking help early, you can reduce the severity of behavioral issues. Just remember, you don't have to go through it alone. There are more services available now than ever before. Here are a few notable ones I came across: Hug-a-Hero Doll: Cloth dolls with the picture of the mother or father. A voice recorder is also available as an option. http://www.hugahero.com www.hugahero.com Fort Bragg Child, Youth, and School Services: The Army now provides free respite care up to 16 hours per child, per month starting 30 days before deployment to 60 days after their return. Operation Hero: Armed Services YMCA trained facilitators create a fun and safe environment for students to express their feelings, receive academic and emotional health support and connect with peers experiencing the same challenges. http://www.asymca.org/operation-hero More ideas are available at: http://www.themilitarywifeandmom.com/deployment-resources-for-military-kids w My own father was a career Army sergeant and left twice for Vietnam when I was young. I have also seen the struggle my niece's family faced as she deployed overseas. The staff of Ranch, Rodeo and Agriculture Magazine and I wish for the safe return of our military heroes this holiday season and pray their families find peace and support while they await their return. If you have questions, comments or a topic you'd like me to write about, contact me at http://www.patsovernllc. com Sources: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/Deployment-and-Children.aspx#sidr-main http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC3312898/#_sec2title
Photos: Provided by Pat Sovern
Photo by: Colleen McIntyre
GRATITUDE by Mark Reamer
G
riping is almost synonymous with agriculture. It's understandable. There's almost always something going wrong somewhere. If you're not in a drought, you're being flooded. If it's been a good year with bumper crops, prices are terrible and you have a dozen breakdowns during harvest. Of course, as soon as the crop is dry enough to harvest, the skies are going to open up in a week-to-10-day downpour which leaves your fields nothing but a muddy swamp; one you're barely able to walk through much less combine. If your cattle are healthy, feed costs and vet care are eating you alive. None of this includes the normal day-to-day, irritants, pests and disease, or fuel, seed, fertilizer and pesticide costs. I could go on indefinitely listing everything which normally goes wrong and not cover hardly anything. Among my personal favorites is needing to make a repair and not having the one particular tool you absolutely have to have or knowing you have three of them somewhere but not being able to find a single one. Yeah, that's agriculture; no matter if you're ranching, farming, raising sheep, goats, bees or fish. The specifics may differ slightly, but looking at the big picture, the story remains the same. In Ag circles, it may be rumored cowboys, particularly those in rodeo are, well, to put it politely, a little nuts! To be honest though, everybody in Ag is a little nuts. To forsake a steady paycheck, a health package with dental and a 401K with corporate matching for a career depending on the whims of the weather to produce a product somebody else determines the value of, you need to be a little nuts. An old friend once told me agriculture is the only industry in the world where the producer doesn't have any significant say in production costs or the value of the final product. If you have a factory manufacturing a product and you have to pay more for raw materials, or your taxes go up, you simply raise the price to the consumer. If you provide insurance and your client has a claim, you raise the price of their premiums. Try going to the sale barn or elevator next time and saying, since your fuel and fertilizer costs went up this year, you're going to need to get so much more per pound or bushel. Be sure to get their reaction on your cellphone so you can post it to YouTube or Facebook so we can all get a good laugh! All this being said, how many of us would voluntarily give it up? Not many I suspect. I doubt it's because we love sitting in a pickup with a thermos of coffee in the middle of the night during a heavy snowstorm while a heifer calves for the first time, just in case something goes wrong. I don't think there are a lot of us who relish the idea of getting all greasy and dirty while we bust our knuckles until they're bleeding trying to reach that one damn nut those brilliant so-and-so engineers placed in that impossible-to-reach spot just to get the @#$%6^'n machine going again. Yeah, everybody in Ag is probably a little nuts to be honest. So, what does all this prove? It proves those involved in Ag have an extraordinarily large number of reasons to be thankful. To put up with the problems we deal with, and know we'll deal with on a regular basis; to give up the security otherwise available in a 9-to-5 job; to actually have "time off " and not have to worry about failures and setbacks, there must be incredible rewards. I said everybody involved in Ag is a little nuts. I didn't say we were all certifiably crazy! The gifts and rewards aren't always obvious. They certainly aren't always monetary. There are a lot easier ways to make money. I think that's what throws most people who aren't involved in Ag. This is an age where money and security are king. Those aren't necessarily the gifts and rewards found in agriculture. Measures of success in Ag are of culture and relationships. They're found in raising one finger from the steering
wheel to acknowledge a neighbor in passing or taking a few minutes to share news and gossip with them after church on Sunday. The gifts and rewards are listening to the cattle lowing to one another, the quail calling in the night and the turkey gobbling in the morning. The gifts and rewards are ephemeral, spiritual and, undeniably unique to each individual. Our closest friends and neighbors receive gifts and rewards completely unknown and mysterious to us as the gifts and rewards we receive are to them. Only to the person who receives and to the Almighty, He who bestowed is the true nature of the gift and reward known. For these, it is right to be thankful. It is our duty to be thankful to God for the gifts we have received. They can't be listed while sitting around a table. They can barely be explained in a language that makes sense to the human ear. They are, however, easily discernible to the human heart. When considering all the trials inherent in agricultural life, and the very small number of those who would voluntarily choose another, it becomes abundantly clear, those gifts and rewards bestowed upon us are overflowing. How ungracious would we be not to be thankful for these? There are those who claim to have nothing to be thankful for. Pity them. Their poverty isn't material. Their poverty is of their heart. It is a far, far more wretched state than simply being materially impoverished. I doubt there are many of those in that state involved in Ag, which is another blessing. It is right we should be constantly grateful, but we are merely human. At least once a year though, at least once, we should reflect on our blessings, acknowledge our gratitude and teach future generations what it means to be truly grateful. I hope each of you takes the opportunity given to us to do so. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
WORLD
Photos by: Avid Visual Imagery
D FINALS
y Rodeo Photography
In the shadows of AT&T stadium, and in the wake of the best bull riders in the world, the Miniature Bull Riders, better known as the MBR, presented by the PBR, showed up all business in Arlington. Even with a touch-and-go 2020 and the ongoing threat of COVID, the PBR took its World Finals to Arlington, TX, and, in tow, brought the future of bull riding along. Over four days, the youngsters of the MBR competed in two Last Chance Qualifier rounds and four World Finals rounds; all this with the focus of laying claim to a bull riding World Title. Thursday, November 12, all three divisions of the MBR competed in the two rounds of the Last Chance Qualifier. The athletes who accumulated enough points to get to finals rode hard to keep their positions while the youngsters who found themselves outside the qualification rode with extra spirit tying to get in. At the end of Thursday evening, the top 15 in each age group would move on to compete for the coveted title. Over the next three days and four rounds, there was nothing left to do but ride as hard as they could and hope for good draws. During these rounds, a couple of notable rides and performances took place. One of these was Tucker Aaron, of Texas. This cowboy strung together several great bull rides which afforded him the average win for the event and catapulted him to number 2 in the world. What might have been the biggest moment came during round three on Saturday evening. Chance Theiss, another Texas cowboy, matched up with one of the top bulls in the MBR. Airtime has a history of huge scores when a bull rider can get around on him. Airtime is not ridden very often but, when he is, there is no doubt the score will be in the high 80s to even 90s which has happened on several occasions. Chance and Airtime have history, so the stage was set and the energy was there. When the whistle blew, Chance had not only ridden Airtime, but he had done so to the tune of 90 points and biggest score of the weekend on the biggest stage. As if this was not enough, Chance came back on day 2 drawing the unridden Party Time. Taking Saturday's momentum, he dug deep and managed to be the first MBR cowboy to collect a score on this great bull. These two big performances took Chance all the way to number 5 in the world!
Once Sunday ended, titles had been presented and young athletes ended their 2020 campaign with the same gusto as they had competed all year. Here are the top athletes in each age group for 2020:
Pee Wee Division
1. Sawyer Roth - 3,641 points 2. Kaysen Chaffin - 2,858.50 points 3. Isaac Escobedo - 2,650 points 4. Andrew Jennings - 2,316 points 5. Boston Gage - 2,243 points 6. Christopher Jackson, Jr. - 2,137.50 points 7. Tate Gregory - 1,906 points 8. Bryson Culpepper - 1,863.50 points 9. Jordan Gage - 1,188 points 10. Lane Valenzuela - 1,052 points 11. Brock Brown - 726 points 12. Trey Runge - 46 points
Junior Division
1. Noah Lee - 3,372 points 2. Anthony Hatchett, Jr. - 2,749.50 points 3. JW Nunn - 2,528 points 4. Parker Crenshaw - 2,519 points 5. Evan Morrison - 2,421.50 points 6. Auston Young - 1,833.50 points 7. Carson Rodigue - 1,503.50 points 8. Cy Cole - 923.50 points 9. Sterling Huitron - 798.50 points 10. Ariyana Escobedo - 664.50 points 11. Easton Foster - 619 points 12. Hoss Davis - 425 points 13. Jase Miller - 390.50 points 14. Lane Smith - 381.50 points
Senior Division
1. Jay Rodrigue - 3,298.50 points 2. Tucker Aaron - 2,667 points 3. Damien Krushall - 2,427 points 4. Ace Urrea - 2,110.50 points 5. Chance Theiss - 2,018 points 6. Travoris Zeno - 1,361.50 points 7. Ryder Carpenetti - 1,267 points 8. Alonzo Reid - 1,196 9. Hunter Maxwell - 1,180 points 10. Cade Chatham - 1,161 points 11. Brayden Brown - 352.50 points 12. Najiah Knight - 340.50 points 13. Kobie Olson - 16 points
photo courtesy of skeeze from Pixabay
O Tannenbaum by Mark Reamer
T
he last of the pumpkin pie has been eaten. The green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and candied yams have long been cleaned up and all that might remain is a little bit of turkey everyone is honestly getting tired of. Thanksgiving has come and gone. The holidays are officially here; at least the season has officially begun.
There's still the shopping, of course, the parties (maybe Zoom virtual parties this year), the organizing and quarrels with relatives. (This is why Thanksgiving is considered the start of the holiday season. It's where this year's quarrels and hard feelings probably started). If you still send out Christmas cards and haven't gotten that done yet, you're behind. While the holiday season may officially be here, there is only one thing that makes the holiday season really here: the setting up and decorating of the Christmas tree. The tradition dates back to Martin Luther who began the practice. The presence of the gaily decorated evergreen with its soft glow of illumination says Christmas like nothing else. In recent years, people have started decorating trees for Easter, Halloween and other holidays. I don't know if these trends will take off or not. Right now though, they don't have the centuries of tradition behind them a Christmas tree does and, to me at least, they don't seem to carry the same feeling the old Christmas tree does regardless of how humbly decorated. Perhaps it's the symbolism of the tree which makes it such an enduring representation of the season. The evergreen represents the eternity of the soul while its shape denotes an arrow pointing upward, showing us where to look for that eternal blessing. Though what it represents is universal and speaks to all mankind, each individual tree is unique unto itself, kind of like us. Everybody contributes their specific touches to their trees. It may be a sentimental ornament handmade by a young child. I've seen pictures of generations of a family hanging on a tree, each in their little brooch frame; even jewelry belonging to loved ones long gone can be found hanging from those sacred branches on occasion. Even the type of tree preferred in a home varies widely. Some prefer fir trees: Douglas, Fraser or balsam. Others prefer spruce, white, Norway or Colorado blue. Still others like a nice Scotch or white pine. A lot depends on where you live and what is most available locally. Of course, it also depends on what kind of tree your parents put up when you were young as that tree will undoubtedly trigger feelings of nostalgia reminding you of those magical Christmases long gone that time has shrouded in a golden halo of memory. To a child, Christmas is always magical regardless of how much the parents worry it may not be enough. It is one of the miracles and blessings of the season. Nostalgia has always played a role in getting the tree, so much so Norman Rockwell and Currier and Ives have chronicled the gathering of the Christmas tree in art which will be recognized long after all of us are gone. While some families still go to the woods to cut down a live tree and haul it home, the vast majority of people today buy theirs. Every supermarket sells Christmas trees during the season nowadays, not to mention the pop-up lots and tree farms which do nothing but grow the evergreens to sell during the holiday season. Christmas tree farming is a branch of agriculture often overlooked but, to those involved, it's as legitimate a crop as any other. While the nostalgic view of cutting the tree after a miles-long hike through a snow-covered forest still dominates in film and fancy, most trees today are purchased. It's a big business supporting a lot of families.
I will buy a tree nowadays, like just about everybody else. Growing up though, we never did; not once. We didn't trudge out into the woods with a sleigh and haul one back as depicted by Rockwell. Instead, we went to the cow pasture. I don't think it's as common a practice today as it used to be, but Dad always left a thick line of red cedar to grow between a couple of hills in the pasture as a windbreak. If a cedar sprung up anywhere else in the pasture, it was taken out immediately. Usually, this chore was assigned to me when Dad couldn't think of any other work for me to do. It kept me busy as red cedar are native and very prolific in eastern Kansas. They had to be kept controlled or they would take over the pasture and they pose an extreme fire risk during the dry season. Sometime around Thanksgiving, we would drive out to the break in the pickup. Dad had already decided which tree we would harvest. We cut it and loaded it into the truck to take home. Once home, we would try to get it through the door which is a whole 'nother story in and of itself since red cedars tend to be very broad and bushy. We always got it inside eventually, though occasionally with some dialog unfit for the season. The smell is what I remember most. Red cedar has a very strong and distinctive smell. It's unlike any other type of Christmas tree. It smells more like a cedar chest or one of those old cedar-lined closets. You can buy cedar oil at some hardware stores. It's used to keep cedar chests and such in good shape and keep the moths and other bugs out. Our trees smelled like that. That aroma permeated the house quickly; first the living room, then the kitchen, finally down the hall and up the stairs to the bedrooms. By the time Mom and the kids had the tree decorated and Dad got out the stepstool to put the angel on top, you could smell it as you walked up the front steps. At that point, it really was the holiday season.
Xtreme Egg Bu PRCA Xtre
Oxford, M
Photos by: Avid Visual I
ull Riding Event eme Bulls
Mississippi
Imagery Rodeo Photography
Winner: Cr
2nd: Josh Frost
reek Young
3rd: Maverick Potter
Potato Soup: A great time-efficient, cold weather meal! As the nip of winter starts to really make its appearance in the fall, and time is limited, this little gem of a meal is a terrific solution. It does take a little time to put together, but the limited effort makes the small investment worthwhile. Shopping List: Russet potatoes Chicken stock Yellow onions Green onions Thick-cut bacon Butter Flour Heavy cream Sour cream Colby cheese Pepper Jack cheese Mrs. Dash Garlic powder Chives
It seems like a big list, but it all comes together fairly easily. To start, put the chicken stock into the slow cooker and let it start warming on high heat. Meanwhile, cube the potatoes into small pieces and add them to the slow cooker. Season with pepper, Mrs. Dash and a touch of salt. Now, you get to walk away for 3-4 hours. After the potatoes are tender, cut the bacon into small pieces and put them in a hot skillet. As the bacon cooks, the green onions can be sliced into small slivers. Once the bacon is cooked through, drain on a paper towel. Meanwhile, add the onions and cheeses. When we do this, we mix half Colby/half pepper jack to give it just a touch of heat and a unique flavor. We then add 3/4 of the bacon to the pot and reserve the rest for serving. Once all of this is in the slow cooker, add the garlic powder and turn the slow cooker to low. Here you get another 90-minutes to get other things done. After the 90-minutes, melt the butter in a skillet, then add flour to make a thick paste. Add the heavy cream and sour cream and let it come together. Next, add the cream mixture to the slow cooker with the potatoes. Once again, you get a chance to walk away while all the ingredients come together, this time for an hour. In our home, we wait until there is about 30 minutes left on the cook time and we put together our favorite cornbread (we may share this recipe someday soon). We also use this time to chop the chives. As the cooking ends, the time to enjoy nears. Serving this dish is easy. Ladle the soup into a bowl, add a dollop of sour cream, some bacon bits and a little chopped chive. Add a little cornbread or your favorite crackers and you have a small-time investment of amazing flavors!